The Burgoo Page

If you are like most people you have never heard of, much less eaten burgoo.
This is one of those times it's definately best to be in the minority.
Burgoo is a savory stew made from a varying array of ingredients. It is
often cooked in enormous iron kettles outdoors over an open flame. Cooking
can take as long as 30 hours and flavor improves as it ages.
It has been said that burgoo is more of a concept than a recipe. This is because
there are as many different ways to prepare burgoo as there are people who
prepare it. The meats could include any or all of the following meats:
mutton (sheep/lamb), beef, pork, chicken, veal or opossum. You will also find some
combination of these vegetables: potatoes, corn, lima beans, tomatoes, or okra. Of course there are also many spices to choose from as well.
As you might imagine there are many people who keep their recipes a closely
guarded secret.

What does "BURGOO" mean?

It is believed that the word "burgoo" originated in the 17th century on the
high seas. These sailors used to subsist on an oatmeal-like porridge made from
the Middle-Eastern grain, bulgur (or bulghur) wheat. The term first appears
in the 1650 book "Adventures by Sea" by Edward Coxere.

Where can I get some?

The center of the burgoo universe is Owensboro, Kentucky.
Owensboro is about mid-way between Cincinnati, OH and St. Louis, MO on the Ohio River. The largest
city in western Kentucky, Owensboro is known as "The Bar-B-Q Capital of the
World" This is due, in part, to the world renowned International Bar-B-Q Festival
held on the Riverfront each May on the Friday and Saturday before Mother's Day. As part of the festival teams from charitable
organizations, churches or businesses compete to be named the best. During the
festival over 1,500 GALLONS of burgoo will be served up, by the cup (with a
slice of white bread) or by the gallon (wide-mouth glass or plastic jar). You
will also find live entertainment, a midway with rides and games, arts and
crafts as well as other foods.

Many area Catholic churches have annual picnics during the summer months.
People travel for miles to their favorite picnics. My family's favorite is
held in Rome, KY. Church volunteers will spend HOURS cooking and setting up.
Most picnics sell burgoo by the cup, gallon or you can get full meals.
Other events at these picnics include Cake Wheels, Ring Tosses, Bingo,
Rummage / bake Sales and lots of socializing.
There are plenty of Bar-B-Q restaurants to choose from in the Kentucky,
Indiana and Illinois (TriState) area. Naturally most of them are located
in Owensboro. Some of the best and best known are:

Most often you would have mutton (barbecued sheep/lamb). Western Kentucky
has a large number of sheep farms which keep the supply and price relatively reasonable. The mutton
is often in the form of a sandwich, either sliced or finely chopped.
Mutton sandwiches are best topped with dill pickle and onion slices. Usually
they are served on hamburger buns or white bread. Cole slaw and potato
salad are also in high demand. Not the bland, boring and beige potato
served in the Northern sections of the US, but spicy potato salad with
relish, boiled eggs and mustard.

Ways to transport burgoo

Many of us travel back to the Owensboro area as often as possible. Naturally while you are there
you will have some bar-b-q. Here are a couple of ways to take some back with you if you are flying.
Buy a gallon and chill it. Now ladle it into freezer bags. Be sure to
keep stirring as you do this or you will get all solids in some bags and all
liquid in others. Remove all the air from the bags and seal them. Now lay them
flat on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 24 hours. Once
frozen you can place the bags in a cooler or wrap them individually in several
layers of newspaper and just stuff them in your suitcase. They'll stay
solid for 6-8 hours depending on the weather. Another option is to freeze
a PLASTIC gallon jar and place it in one of those disposable
coolers. However, the initial freezing time takes longer and you are stuck
with a frozen gallon of burgoo when you arrive at your destination. I prefer the
freezer bag method. This way you only defrost as much or as little as you
need.

I hope to add more burgoo information to The Burgoo Page in the future.
If you have any comments, suggestions or criticisms, please just send me
an E-Mail. I'd really love to
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